The First Few Finishes and Adventures of the Year

As always, thanks so much for visiting my blog and for all your kind and encouraging comments - you're the best!

I hope that you have been lucky enough to get cold and snow without any major power outages or other inconveniences.  It has been wonderful here in my corner of KY.  I got to break out my Swedish winter clothes and that only happens every 5 years or so.  I had a great time, but at the same time, I was glad that it didn't last too long.  We have had some nice snow flurries the last couple of days, but nothing has really stayed on the ground.  The falling snow is so pretty and calming to watch though.

I have had a lot of fun stitching on my Hillside Samplings Folk Art Sewing Roll.  It has actually been close to done for a few weeks, but all of the sudden I decided that I was too unfocused to make all those French knots that make up the sheeps' furry bodies.  Well, I finally rolled up my sleeves yesterday night, and waddaya know - it took 20 minutes, tops!  Easy-peasy.  I have even started the assembly process - it really shouldn't take that long; the instructions are great, very straight-forward and there is nothing odd about the construction.  I'll give it a go as soon as I log off!  :-)

 Here is a close-up of the sheep running amok in the star-lit fields.

 

 

I did also manage to finish (complete with personalization and all!  I hate charting personalizations!!!) one of the girls' birth sampler.  I turned out great, if I may say so myself...  :-)  I have even started the second one and it's coming along nicely (the photo is a bit out-dated, I am actually a bit further along).

Here is a closer look at the angel and the tulips and all the filled in leaves.  Even though the colors are nowhere close to what the kit's cover photo showed, I am still really pleased!  I am not even dreading stitching the sampler one more time.

A few photos showing the progress:

So, you may wonder what the red running thread is all about.  Well, let me tell you - the chart was missing a vertical row of stitches on the right side - this drove me nuts, since this is supposed to be a symmetrical piece.  Luckily, I noticed the error very early on and made some mirror copies from the left (correct) side.  Of course I kept forgetting to look at the mirrored charts while stitching, so finally, exasperated with all the 'reversed stitching' I had to do, I marked the sucker. 
It wasn't until after I pulled out my second kit that I noticed that the covers looked different.  Wouldn't you believe it - the kit on the right is a 'new and improved' version - the chart has been fixed and is larger and easier to read.  I could only roll my eyes heavenwards and smirk once I realized that Murphy's Law is applicable to cross-stitching too.  Blargh!  lol

 All in all, a very enjoyable stitch though!

 

I managed to finish my "lunch project" right before Christmas, a beautiful 1827 reproduction Biedermeier sampler from Permin, which for some reason is really hard to track down here in the US.  Note the burn mark on the left side of the linen border - ugh!  I hate ironing!  I burnt the edge of both this sampler and the birth sampler above (same side even).  Shows up that the stem function had died.  Sigh...  I did find a link online claiming that it may be possible to get the burned stains out, but I am doubtful.  I'll give it a try and if it doesn't work, I guess that I'll have the matting cut with a smaller opening.

 Needless to say, I am now a proud owner of a brand new iron!  And from now on, no ironing without a thick pressing cloth....

I am itching to stitch more Permin samplers:

1854 Celle Museum Soroe Reproduction Sampler 

 

1859 Anna Theis Reproduction Sampler 

 

Meyer Reproduction Sampler  

 

The two latter are patiently waiting for me in my stash. I guess that I need to dig one of them out and bring it into work.  :-)

Here are some other fun craft projects that I have been entertaining myself with:
The tiny oval penny rug kit, here displayed with Liberty Hill's latest creation.  (The kit comes in an off-white as well as the midnight-blue center that I picked.)

 

I must say that I do enjoy wool projects.  

Quick and fun - instant gratification (at least for a miniscule size like this...)!

And I went totally over-board when I happened across the instructions for how to make these easy Christmas ball swags on Pinterest.  Especially since I happened to fall in on Michael's 60% off all Xmas decorations sale just a few days before Christmas.  As you can see, I had a lot of fun!

Hallway:

 Guest bath:

 Living-room (note out chic fire-place screen... lol):

It just struck me the other day that I haven't showed off my super-sweet & up-graded stitch room to the world yet, so you have to bear with me.  This is what you get when you spend hours and drop some dough at IKEA followed by some serious assembly lines together with hubby for a weekend.  

I now have a work-bench:

A great bureau that swallows a LOT.  Contains fabrics, kits and more kits...

 

Just for fun, close-up of Hillside Samplings hornbook:

Three additional bookcases filled with patterns, magazines, and .. uh .. more kits.  lol

 

All these white pieces are from IKEA's Hemnes line.  Looks a little Shaker inspired, I think.  

Let me insert here, that if you haven't seen this before and you are as much into shoes as I am, Hemnes shoe-cabinet is a must.  Stylish, sleek, takes pretty much no room, but you can stuff that sucker, let me tell ya'!  (We have two of the left hand option in our narrow entry hallway at home.)

Back to the stitch-room: A perfect nook for my pattern file cabinet:

I am not quite done organizing and storing everything yet.  

Note the handy walk-in closet with even more storage space - hurray! 

 

And finally ...  it begins (*shudder*):    "Pssst!  Sis!"  

                                                            "What!?"

                                                                                   "I think we're busted..."

 "Uh-oh...."

Have a great day, thanks for stopping by and Happy Stitching,